How to Educate Young Employees about Their Benefits

Posted by The D.B.L. Center LTD. on January 4th, 2021

For young employees, understanding employee benefits aren’t as simple as generally presumed. Limited knowledge or confusion can sometimes result in significant expenses for both the employee and their employer. Fortunately, it’s possible to educate employees about their benefits, including the Family And Medical Leave Act (FMLA) NY and Paid Family Leave (PFL). It can help keep the cost down and improve the well-being of employees. Here, we have put together a few things that might help you educate your employees, especially young employees, about their benefits.

Basic benefits terminology

It’s common for employees, especially those entering the workforce, to be unaware of the basic benefits if they are not in the insurance industry. Employers must educate them, assuming they have little to no knowledge about the benefits. It should include insurance basics, such as group health coverage, enrollment period restrictions, and common terms. Provide educational messages in different formats, including presentations, posters, and videos, to capture their attention.

What’s in it for them?

Every employee would want to understand why it is important to learn the insurance basics. Besides providing information, you must also let them know a little research can help them save thousands on medical procedures. With the understanding of health benefits, they can not only save money but can also make smart health care choices for themselves and their families. Even they can take advantage of opportunities for better investment potential.

Keep educating

It’s not possible to achieve benefits literacy overnight. Therefore, it is best to begin immediately and continue education throughout the year. Make sure to keep the topic fresh, including how to visit urgent care or the emergency room, when to request a life event, and who qualifies as a dependent. Pick different benefits topics every month and create a communication plan. This way, by the next year, employees will know about their benefits programs.

Answer their questions

Even after thorough education resources, employees have plenty of questions. While it’s not possible for a single employer to answer every question besides managing their work, the best solution is to have a dedicated person to help answer all benefits-related questions on your behalf. The person should have up-to-date information about benefits, including Paid Family Leaves and Family And Medical Leave Act NY, and be available to respond to messages, emails, virtual meetings, or in-person sessions for queries. An alternative is to arrange employees-meet before open enrollment. One-on-one meetings encourage employees to put forward their doubts and questions if they don’t feel comfortable speaking in front of a large group.

Employers must remember that employees, and especially young employees, do not understand benefits and make wise healthcare decisions when they have no knowledge of benefits basics. As an employer, it becomes your responsibility to educate employees about the benefits.